Revolution Brewing (2023)

In January, we'll have V.S.O.R. Select and On & On - Part 3, the latter of which is a Double Barrel Stout, with some rye and barleywine inspiration I believe. So good things are on the way.

I suggest we all just treat ourselves to a much deserved 4-pack or three of Dread & Breakfast for being the best craft beer market in all the land. You've earned it.

 

I do think you're right about Dread being a naming issue; I FOMO'd myself into grabbing it (no regrets), but I'm not a coffee guy so it was a leap of faith in my case. It's a great name, just doesn't have that same cachet that "DB" and "VSO" do.

 

Nothing does the first time. And if you keep releasing the same old same old, it gets boring. And you don't start at the VSO top, you earn your way there.

 

Well then, I stand corrected as well.

 

The other problem with Dread and Breakfast was the expectation was set on the forum by Rev that it was going to go fast so the casual purchaser who wasn't going to e-line up for the beer probably passed thinking they didn't have a shot at it. Then when they still see it for sale weeks later they have to wonder what is wrong with it that it didn't sell out?

 

There was also an issue with Dread and Breakfast due to the misnomer (I think?) that it contained lactose. I think this was corrected, but for early adopters and word of mouth, that probably hurt it at the start. I didn’t choose to buy or try it for this reason. Later, it has no longer become a priority.

 

BREAKFAST BLEND ALE WITH COFFEE AGED IN BOURBON BARRELS - 15.9%

**CONTAINS LACTOSE**

 

I’m actually happy Dread is still around. I never hang on to my DW beers long as I don’t really have a cellar these days and drink through my allotments. But I’m really intrigued by how that beer will age as the coffee fades. Coffee stouts are pretty much my favorite style, so I’m sure I’ll like it less than fresh (however the coffee in Cafe seems to hold up quite well in my experience). I just think Dread has one of the most unique aging potentials as any other DW. But who knows, maybe it becomes more of a maple cinnamon bomb.

 

20% of the blend is XO Dark Mode, which is a milk stout, so I think it needed that on there.

 

I remember when Milk Stouts were a delicious style that most people enjoyed. Then we started putting lactose in IPAs, which is admittedly is gross, but then somehow Lactose became a thing people didn't want in their beer? I'm confused by people's potential confusion over what lactose is and what it does for a beer, especially a dark, sweet beer.

 

Most of the lactose stouts i have had have been thinner than their counterparts at the same brewery.

Yea, I must have had it backwards. Maybe initially that was missing (contains lactose), and the question that arose was whether it was true or not given the inclusion of dark mode. I don’t remember the exact discussion, just that there were questions. All I remember is I didn’t want it with lactose, because I haven’t been much of a fan of stouts with lactose.

 

Damn good beer though, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd love to see the Supermassive version canned ("Very Caffeinated Old Dread?")

 

Should be the opposite, not to "IPAs were invented on the long trips to India" anyone, but the lactose is unfermentable sugar, so the stout should be thicker and sweeter.

 

With the exception of Apocalypse Cow, I agree.

 

Aye, it just isn’t my experience.

 

Not sure where you are in Minnesota, but they have a tasting event November 16 in Duluth. Ryeway to Heaven and Straight Jacket cans should be available in their Minnesota distribution footprint. Perhaps reach out to their distributor to see if they plan on drops near you.

STATE OF MINNESOTA
Artisan Beer Company
2300 Pilot Knob Road
Mendota Heights, MN 55120
651.637.3334

They also have a beer finder for what already was distributed.

https://revbrew.com/beer/find

 

Dread & Breakfast correctly noted that it contains lactose. Marty dreamed up this crazy blend, and a portion being a milk stout was always part of the plan. We could have done what many breweries did and not disclosed the lactose, but prefer transparency. I wish there was a reasonable way to say that there's just a teeny tiny bit.

When you make 12-13 of these releases every year, you can & probably should try some different things and take some chances so that it doesn't get stale. I really don't think it was the lactose thing that caused it to not sell out and to be clear 80% of it flew, it's just again impossible to guess exactly how much is the right number. I believe the lack of connection to a past brand in our Deep Wood System, and the complexity of the concept failed to get it the interest outside Chicago via proxies that it usually takes for one of these to sell out instantly like we saw today.

 

"There's no maple in it, but it tastes like maple" was one of the things that interested me, but I wonder if that was a turnoff to the pastry bois.